I taped the game since it was on at 2:30 AM our time, and then watched the ending while working out this morning. How frustrating. Although I still didn't feel totally comfortable, I thought we had put together a pretty decent team. Granted, the "world" has gotten better overall, but we still have the best players. Too bad we haven't yet put together the best "team". Hopefully we can build on this going towards the Olympics in a couple of years. The team could still use a couple more shooters (Michael Redd would be great), and Kobe/Marion/Amare will likely be on the team next time around, so it will be interesting to see how things progress. I can't say I'm shocked we lost, but it is really getting frustrated. I miss the days of beating everyone else in the world by 25-50 points.

i guess second place was good enough to get dirk $20 million a year. other than shaq and kg, i can't think of anyone making that kind of money. it seems like a little much, but i guess cuban didn't want to pull the same crap he did with nash and have to watch dirk whoop up on the mavs a couple of times a season.

Okay, well, Eddie Griffin whacking off in his crashed up ride in a drunk stupor is not the funniest thing of the off-season anymore.

Just another night in the life of Stephen Jackson:

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Indiana Pacers player Stephen Jackson was hit in the mouth, struck by a car and fired a gun outside a strip club early Friday, police said.

Jackson, 28, told officers he fired his 9 mm pistol four or five times in the air in self-defense after he was punched and hit by a car outside the club, said Sgt. Matthew Mount, spokesman for the Indianapolis Police Department.